Monday, December 29, 2014

This
provocative story is about a young man who was initiated into a
clandestine sexual society. He was spirited to the Middle East, from
his UK boarding school. He attended the Bahriji School (Oasis,) in
The United Arab Emirates in preparation for serving in Harems for the
wealthy and elite.

It
is also a love story between the young man and his ‘Valet’ who
served as his chaperone and mentor during the boy’s Harem service.

Author’s
Note:

I had
a privileged and unique upbringing in Malaysia. Following in my
brothers' footsteps, I was sent to an exclusive boarding school in
England. It is there that I was inducted into a clandestine
organization, E.R.O.S. The
Enlightened Royal Oracle Society. For
fouryears,
unbeknownst to my family, I was willingly and happily part of a
Harem.

My
story has been kept under wraps for close to 45 years. The correct
moment has arrived for me to make known my unique education.

This
is the sequel to Initiation
- A provocative story about a young man who was initiated into a
clandestine sexual society. He was spirited to the Middle East, from
his UK boarding school. He attended the Bahriji School (Oasis,) in
The United Arab Emirates in preparation for serving in Harems for the
wealthy and elite.

It
is also a love story between the young man, his ‘Big Brother’ and
his ‘Valet’ who served as his chaperones and mentors during the
boy’s Harem services.

This
bookfollows
the teenagers’ erotic and exotic adventures and experiences at
their 2nd Arab Household Harem, the Sekham. They were apprentices and
models, for the household patriarch’s controversial photography
project, “Sacred
Sex in Sacred Places”.

The
author's experiences present facts that are truthful. Through these
truths, which are often demonized by contemporary societies that deem
such behaviors inappropriate, the author hopes to dispel
condemnations and negativity which relate to his experiences.

There
are 5 - 7 volumes in A Harem Boy’s Saga series.

Debauchery
is the triquel to A
Harem Boy’s Saga,
a
provocative story about a young man who was initiated into a
clandestine sexual society through his UK boarding school. From
there, he was spirited to the Middle East to attend the Bahriji
(Oasis) School in The United Arab Emirates in preparation for Harem
services for the wealthy elite.

It
is also a love story between the young man, his ‘Big Brother,’
and his ‘Valet,’ who served as his chaperones and mentors.

Goals
I hope to achieve through

A
Harem Boy Saga:

Provide
Tolerance to Sissy Boys by
understanding parents/peers and the community.

Between
parents/teachers and young students on sexual topics/issues,
especially when adolescent are just discovering their sexuality. They
can be guided on a healthy and honest sexual journey instead of
“don’t
ask, don’t tell”
hide it behind the closet policy.

Author’s Bio

Young alias Bernard Foong is,
first and foremost, a sensitivist. He finds nuance in everything. To experience
the world he inhabits is an adventure which is mystical, childlike and
refreshing. He has a rare ability to create beauty in a unique fashion. His
palettes have been material, paint, words and human experiences.

By
Christine Maynard (screenwriter and novelist).

Bernard Foong (designer) – A brief history

Born
in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. At the age of 8, he was
assisting his aunt and cousin, learning the art of sewing and fabrics/colors
matching. He attended an exclusive private boarding school in the United Kingdom before obtaining his Diploma in
Fashion Design at the Harrow College of Art & Technology in London, England.He went on to complete his Master of Design
at the Royal College
of Art & Design, London,
England. During
his college years he won several international fashion awards and was already
retailing bridal and evening dresses to several well known department stores in
England.
Liberty of London, Selfridges, Harrods and Harvey Nichols to name a few that
carried his designs. His Royal College of Art graduation wedding/evening wear
collection was sold to Liberty of London and displayed in their store windows
for the entire month of June that year.

For
four years, he worked for Liberty’s bridal department as their in-house
designer until a trip to Hong Kong, while working on a freelance project for
‘Bird’s’(casual wear) company, he was recruited by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University
as their Fashion professor for the next 6 years. During his stay in Hong Kong, he freelanced for numerous fashion companies.
From designing casual wear, swimwear, lingerie, and fur garments, men’s wear,
bridal and evening fashions to accessories (bags, shoes, and head-wear). He
also participated and organized numerous fashion shows, events, functions, and
presentations in the Asia Pacific region.

Working
for Keys Far East Hong Kong as chief lingerie designer - travelling extensively
to the United States, he was soonrecruited as an Associate Fashion Design/Illustration Professor to the
University of Wisconsin, Madison and also lectured at the Minneapolis College
of Art & Design for a couple of years.

Foong
was then appointed as the Fashion Development Manager by an established
department store – Parkson Grand (22 stores in Malaysia
and one in Shanghai, China). Producing under the label,
Natural Life by Bernard Foong, he designed casual-wear collections for the
Parkson Grand’s flagship store in Kuala
Lumpur. After a couple of years later, he was invited
by the Temasek Polytechnic,
Singapore to
join their design school to establish a Fashion Design department. For two
years, he assisted several founding members of the design school - working on
the fashion department’s teaching curriculum.

The
Fitzgerald Theatre Department, University of Hawaii,
Manoa, Oahu, Hawaii awarded a full scholarship for Foong
to complete his second Master of Art in Theatre Costuming. Now a resident on
the Island of Maui, he has assisted many charity
organizations in their fund raising events with his extravagant fashion and
performance shows/presentations. In 2005, he and his partner, Mr. Walter Jay
Bissett opened Fire Dragon Bistro Orient & Design Shop. He also designs costumes/fashions
for numerous theatrical productions in Hawaii
and abroad.

Appointed as chief lingerie designer for Cerie
International Limited – Hong Kong, his lingerie designs can be found in major
department stores in Canada
and the United Kingdom.

He
showcased the BERNARD FOONG R-T-W
collections and BERNARD FOONG @ Modern Classic Ltd.(an
established – Hong Kong bridal & evening wear company) collections in Hong Kong. His 2008 & 2009 bridal/evening/bridal
lingerie fashion show, “Grace” & “Coming Up Roses” were premiered at Hong
Kong Fashion Week in July 2007 and January 2008 respectively at the Hong Kong Convention &
Exhibition Center,
garnering positive interest in many Asian press reviews, including a China
nationwide television broadcast of his latest collection. Aika (International
Opera Singer) wore several Bernard Foong special occasion dresses at her Japan
& European tour in September & October 2009.

Bernard
is also writing his autobiography, a seven book series of Mr. Foong’s young
life:

A Harem Boy’s Saga: A
Memoir by Young.

This
provocative story spanning 4 decades and 3 continents is about a boy who was
sent to a very exclusive English boarding school in the 1960s where he was
initiated into a clandestine sexual society and then spirited away to serve in
wealthy and elite Middle Eastern harems ."

A Harem Boy’s Saga series is published by Solstice
Publishing and is available in print and E-books internationally.

Out of his busy schedule, Bernard
is also working on a mini series of three contemporary paintings for the Rathe
Galleries in Dallas, Houston and soon to open
gallery in Austin, Texas.

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Hello Penny and thank you
very much for welcoming me on your blog today. I am delighted to have the
opportunity to talk about my new novel, A SPELL IN PROVENCE, which will be
released by Áccent Press early in January.

A SPELL IN PROVENCE is a
contemporary romantic suspense, a new genre for me since I usually write
historical romances.

I first got the idea for
the plot during a family holiday in the South of France. It is obvious when you
travel through Provence
that fountains were very important for locals. 'Water is gold' says an old
Provençal saying, and true enough, there are fountains everywhere - some were
very grand like in Aix-en-Provence, others a plain stone trough with only an
old tap spurting fresh water. One fountain in particular captured my imagination.
It was in the lovely small town of Cassis
near Marseille, where we had stopped for an impromptu picnic. As soon as I saw
it and read its inscription in Latin, I knew I had the basis of a plot.

Provence is a wonderful setting for a novel. There are so
many hill-top villages and old farmhouses the French call 'mas' or 'bastides' ,
ancient Roman ruins, and of course lavender and sunflower fields and olive
groves...

One of the most peculiar
sight in Provence
are 'bories' - dry stone constructions with an arched roof, which were used by
farmers or shepherds for shelter. Some of them date back to the Bronze Age,
others are far more recent. There are everywhere, in fields and in pine
forests, or again on hill tops. You can find a whole village of bories near
Gorde in the Luberon, which affter decades of neglect, was renovated and turned into
a museum. I couldn't resist featuring an abandoned village of bories in A SPELL
IN PROVENCE.

Blurb

With few roots in England and having just lost her job, Amy Carter
decides to give up on home and start a new life in France, spending her redundancy
package turning an overgrown Provençal farmhouse, Bellefontaine, into a
successful hotel. Though she has big plans for her new home, none of them
involves falling in love – least of all with Fabien Coste, the handsome but
arrogant owner of a nearby château. As romance blossoms, eerie and
strange happenings in Bellefontaine hint at a dark mystery of the Provençal
countryside which dates back many centuries and holds an entanglement between
the ladies of Bellefontaine and the ducs de Coste at its centre. As Amy works
to unravel the mystery, she begins to wonder if it may not just be her heart at
risk, but her life too.

Buy Links:

http://www.accentpress.co.uk/Book/13421/A-Spell-in-Provence.html

A SPELL IN PROVENCE will be available
from Amazon early January 2014

Snippet

He looked down. The
light of the rising sun played on his face and made his green eyes seem deep
and warm. Time slowed down. The noise from the crowd became muffled and
distant, and all she could hear was the crystalline spring water trickling in
the old fountain. The spring that ran through the forest between Manoir Coste
and Bellefontaine and bound hearts and lives together, or so the spell said … Her
heartbeat slowed, or maybe it stopped altogether. It was as if Fabien and she
were alone. Desire, fear and another feeling she didn’t recognise overwhelmed
her and made her dizzy.

Marie Laval Bio

Originally from Lyon in France,
Marie studied History and Law at university there before moving to Lancashire
in England
where she worked in a variety of jobs, from PA in a busy university department
to teacher of French in schools and colleges. Writing, however, was always her
passion, and she spends what little free time she has dreaming and making up
stories. Her historical romances ANGEL HEART and THE LION'S EMBRACE are
published by MuseItUp Publishing. A SPELL IN PROVENCE is her first contemporary
romance. It is published by Áccent Press.

Friday, December 26, 2014

Every year, FOR Christmas, we have a white elephant exchange at my mom's. With there being about 30 of us, this way there isn't gift exchanges, etc.....just fun! Rules - $10 white elephant and it can only be picked three times.

This year we had a plethora of items from alcohol (always a good gift) to huge boxes of peanuts to scratchers! One person got some scatchers and these knitted things. We figured out the gift was from my mom. "What is this for mom?" It's a penis warmer! Alrighty, then.

ANYWAY, I had told my hubby I wanted a digital scale as one of my gifts.

He said, "We have a scale." I said, "It lies!"

Low and behold, there was a digital scale as a white elephant. I ended up getting and keeping it.
It weighs 1.5 pounds lighter than our old one. It is my new best present ever! Come on - a pound and a half, is a pound and a half!

So, the filthy liar that lived on my bathroom floor will be added to the camp fire tonight, when neighbors come up for our after Christmas celebration!

GOOD RIDDANCE!

2015 is right around the corner! I'm wishing health, wealth, and happiness to you all!!!!!

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

By the time you read this Christmas will
be only a couple of days away.

That
doesn’t mean the holiday frenzy is over, though. There’s always one more
present to buy (and hopefully you won’t have to run from someone hell bent on
getting that last “hot toy” that you happened to pick up), one more ingredient
needed for the holiday meal, and one more effort to replenish the egg nog and rum.
No matter how often you think you’re finished, you aren’t. But, that’s the way
it is and always has been, and always will be.

In
spite of the commercialism of the season (corporations need profits for their
executives and shareholders, and employees need jobs) intermingled with
familial love for one another, there is something else that should not be
forgotten.

I
do not mean to dampen anyone’s spirits during this festive season, but every
year according to the Centers for Disease Control http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/suicide/holiday.html,
more than 36,000 people commit suicide. Surprisingly, the peak is not during Christmas,
but in the spring.

Thirty-six
thousand is a big number, a cold and safe statistic, but each number represents
a person. So much is lost when a suicide occurs—not only for the person who
commits the act, but for those left behind wondering, “Why?”

Having
served in the Army National Guard during the Global War On Terrorism, suicide
prevention was a high priority as the number of military suicides kept climbing
every year. Suicide prevention included briefings, lectures, and senior NCOs
reminding everyone to keep an eye on each other and their subordinate Soldiers,
both during and between weekend drills.

Sadly,
such attention did not always prevent suicides—last year I stood with others behind
a grieving mother as a casket containing not a statistic but a son, a fellow
Soldier, and a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, was lowered into the ground.

So,
whether you are rich or poor or just keeping your head above water, step back
from the holiday rat race. It’s not that important. Make the time to do
something really important—remind your spouse and children, from the heart,
that you love them.

And
then make the time to call or go visit a friend or maybe a social acquaintance
from work just to say, “Hi. How are you?” Even, “What are you doing on
Christmas Day? Come over for a drink and dinner.”

You
may never know that through such a simple act you might have made a difference
to someone—but that isn’t important. What is important is that even if
unknowingly, you have made a difference.

BLURB:Sergeant Jerry Stanton is a young soldier serving in the War in Iraq.
He is a gunner on a gun truck nicknamed “Lucky Bear,” one of those tireless workhorses
that escort supply convoys from camps in Kuwait to destinations scattered
throughout the war-torn country. In the early morning hours before a scheduled
mission, a dust storm howls across his camp and threatens to bring convoy
operations to a halt. Worse, the camp receives word that a gunner from his
company was killed by an IED while on a convoy mission. Unlike most soldiers,
Jerry doesn’t carry a lucky charm, but upon receiving news of the death of the
gunner, he begins to mull over/ponder the merit/virtue of a good luck
charm—only, what would work for him? Perhaps mail call will provide the answer.

EXCERPT: “People like a happy
ending.”

Sergeant
Jerry Stanton, an M4 Carbine slung across his chest, glanced at the dark form
that trudged alongside him in the hot, early morning darkness. It was all the
darker for the dust storm howling across the small camp, a dusty and sandy
convoy support center, CSC, a mile south of the Iraqi border. He placed his
hand over the tall styrofoam coffee cup from the messhall that was open at all
hours to serve those about to head out on a mission. He felt the itchy dust
filtering down his back, along his arms, and coating his fingers.

In
spite of his short time deployed to Kuwait, he had learned that dust
storms were worse than sand storms; they were hot and itchy while the sand
storms stung exposed skin and chilled the air. Breakfast was good but tasted
flat, more due to the question of whether their mission would be a go or no-go
because of the storm that roared out of the midnight darkness hours before.

“What?”

“People
like a happy ending,” the soldier repeated. He was a gunner from another gun
truck as the squat, venerable M1114 HMMWVs, which were never meant to be combat
vehicles, were called. He held up a rabbit foot that spun frantically in the
wind and added, “I like a happy ending.Especially now.” They rounded the corner of a small building, actually a
renovated mobile home trailer with a covered wooden porch lit by a bare
electric bulb. The gunner pointed to a small black flag, suspended from a log
overhang, flapping furiously in the wind.

“Oh
shit.” Jerry sighed as a cold chill raced
through him.

“It’s
been there for an hour or so,” the soldier said as he enclosed the rabbit’s
foot within both hands and brought it up to his lips as if to kiss it. He
glanced at Jerry. “I’m not superstitious, but still, I mean, there’s nothing
wrong with having a lucky charm. You know?”

“Yeah.” Jerry nodded as he watched the twisting flag. “I
know.”

The
soldier looked once more at the black flag andthen
walked toward the shower and restroom trailers beyond which were the air-conditioned sleeping tents they called home…

Stan Hampton, Sr. is a full-blood Choctaw of the Choctaw
Nation of Oklahoma, a divorced grandfather to 13 wonderful grandchildren, and a
published photographer and photojournalist. He retired on 1 July 2013 from the
Army National Guard with the rank of Sergeant First Class; he previously served
in the active duty Army (1974-1985), the Army Individual Ready Reserve
(1985-1995) (mobilized for the Persian Gulf War), and enlisted in the Nevada Army
National Guard in October 2004, after which he was mobilized for Federal active
duty for almost three years. Hampton is a veteran of Operations Noble Eagle
(2004-2006) and Iraqi Freedom (2006-2007) with deployment to northern Kuwait
and several convoy security missions into Iraq.

His writings have appeared as stand-alone stories and in
anthologies from Dark Opus Press, Edge Science Fiction & Fantasy, Melange
Books, Musa Publishing, MuseItUp Publishing, Ravenous Romance, and as
stand-alone stories in Horror Bound Magazine, The Harrow, and River Walk
Journal, among others.

In May 2014 he graduated from the College of Southern
Nevada with an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Photography – Commercial
Photography Emphasis. A future goal is to study for a degree in archaeology—hopefully
to someday work in and photograph underwater archaeology (and also learning to
paint).

After 13 years of brown desert in the Southwest and
overseas, he misses the Rocky Mountains, yellow aspens in the fall, running
rivers, and a warm fireplace during snowy winters.

As of April 2014, after being in a 2-year Veterans
Administration program for Homeless Veterans, Hampton is officially no longer a
homeless Iraq War veteran.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Everyone
who aspires to be an author is always looking for the magic
ingredient to make their book the one that makes their career. So
what should an author write? The answer given by a surprising number
of so-called experts is “write what you know.” If I did that, my
books probably wouldn’t be too exciting. “Write what you want to
read,” might be a better answer for me.

I’ve
been a published author for a reasonably short period of time, and
during that time, I’ve released several romance novels, but in five
different sub-genres. Fire
Angel,
In
Plain Sight,
and On
His Watch
are romantic suspense. Echoes
of the Past
is paranormal romantic suspense, while Just
for the Weekend, Holiday Magic,
and The
Perfect Choice are
contemporary romances. The
Captain’s Promise,
and my latest release, The
Price of Honor are
historical romance, and All
for Love, a
romantic suspense for the Christian book market, will be released
next May.I
also co-write under the name Misty Matthews, and have two
contemporary books out there, Grand
Slam,
a novella, and Coming
Home,
the first book in a four book series called Taking
a Chance on Love.
What am I working on now? I’ve just finished NaNoWriMo with
another contemporary romance which I’ll begin editing soon, and
have two other romantic suspense novels to finish polishing before I
submit them to publishers.

Why
do I write in so many different sub-genres? The answer is simply
because I like to read different kinds of books. In time, I hope to
complete some young adult books, maybe a sci-fi novel, and I
definitely want to try my hand at fantasy. Next spring, I plan to
publish a collection of short stories for children ages 8-12 based on
stories I wrote and had published in the local newspaper twenty years
ago. What you won’t see is books which would be considered erotica,
because while there are erotic elements in some of my books, I just
don’t have that kind of an imagination.

Probably
the greatest thrill I get is reading the reviews people post for my
books or having someone I know tell me how much they enjoyed reading
one of my novels. I have a fragile ego, I’ll admit, and criticism
lays me low, but knowing my books captured someone’s imagination
and pulled them out of reality into the story for a few hours makes
the time and effort it takes to write a book worthwhile. It’s
unfortunate that not everyone who reads a book takes the time to rate
and/or review it. Reviews seriously affect a book’s life. The more
reviews it gets, the better chance there is that someone will buy it
or that you can promote it on the more popular book sites.

My
latest book, The
Price of Honor,
is an attempt to share my country and personal history with readers
who enjoy historical romance. I’ve always found history
fascinating, but I’ve found very few historical romance novels set
in early Canada when this land was a French colony. I’ve spent time
in both Quebec City and Montreal (Ville-Marie), and I’ve tried to
describe and recreate the feel of that new world in my novel. One of
my male ancestors came to Canada in 1664 as a member of the regiment
sent by King Louis XIV to quell the Mohawk uprising in the colony.
When the war ended, the soldiers were offered land if they chose to
make New France their home. Poor women of good character were sent to
New France as “Filles du Roi,” royal wards given a small dowry by
the king to leave France and cross the ocean to marry strangers and
populate the colony. But life wasn’t easy in this land where they
battled the weather, the land itself, the Amerindians, the British to
the south of them, and men back in France whose sole purpose was to
get rich regardless of who or what suffered.

In
my novel, I’ve taken poetic license to create fictional characters
who might have been involved in one of these situations. Set against
authentic historical figures and actions at a time when the land was
fresh and new, The
Price of Honor
is meant to both entertain and maybe teach the reader a bit about
early Canada.

Will
this be the book to make me? I don’t know. There are many other
stories of the crises faced by French Canadian colonists in the years
prior to Confederation and even afterwards. We might not have had the
Wild West the Americans had, but there are stories to tell, and I
hope I get to tell a few more of them.

Book
Blurb:
The Price of Honor

What
price is a woman willing to pay to restore a man’s honor?

When
her husband is falsely accused of treason and murdered, Isabelle de
Caen vows to find those responsible and see justice done. Of royal
descent, Isabelle is stunned when the king orders her hasty marriage
to one of his favorites, a man she detests. To save herself from a
fate too awful to contemplate, she disobeys the king’s edict and
commits treason of her own to find the truth.

Childhood
friend, Guy Poirier, an aristocrat in New France, has always loved
Isabelle. When he discovers her hiding in his cabin aboard ship, he
agrees to hide her from her fiancé and help her clear her husband’s
name. It doesn’t take them long to realize there’s more at stake
here than her husband’s murder. With the fate of the colony in
their hands, can Isabelle and Guy prevent a war and find love in the
new world?

Excerpt:

The
comtesse looked up from her papers giving Isabelle her full
attention. “Another colonial upstart. I wish the king would put an
end to such nonsense. A man is born noble. It’s in the blood, as
you well know considering the color of yours. I hope he’s the last
of this constant stream of rabble.” She put down her quill pen and
turned in the chair. “I’m annoyed with you, Isabelle. I’d hoped
you’d see the wisdom in the king’s decision. I didn’t expect
you to be so stubborn.”

“Stubborn?
In what way?”

“Your
attitude towards this marriage, of course. You should be overjoyed
the king has offered you to a man as rich and powerful as the
chevalier. Churlishness is a quality rarely appreciated in a lady.
Behaving like a boorish peasant doesn’t become you.”

“It
wasn’t my intention to be difficult. I sought only to honor my
father as our customs dictate.” Isabelle’s battered heart
wouldn’t let her contain her anger any longer. She’d been raised
to be polite and obedient, but this accusation was more than she
could endure. “Overjoyed? That’s the last thing I am. This is the
seventeenth century. France is an empire. I don’t understand why
the king would treat me like an African slave who can be bought and
sold like cattle. I’m the daughter of a comte. I carry the royal
bloodline. That should count for something. At the very least, it
should get me an audience to plead my case.”

Isabelle
realized her mistake when she saw her stepmother’s face.
Henriette’s fury was palpable and radiated from her. She stood
quickly, knocking over her chair, moved to Isabelle’s side, and
grabbed her chin painfully, twisting her face to the right and then
to the left. Her fingertips would leave their imprint.

“You’ll
do nothing of the sort. How naïve you are. Have you learned nothing
of politics? This may be the seventeenth century, but because of your
royal blood, you have less rights than the slaves you described.
Rebellions have been started by people with weaker claims to the
throne than yours—what are you? Twelfth now? Many of those ahead of
you are old. As they die, your claim to the throne improves. Among
other things, your darling Pierre is to blame for your current
situation. His treason cost you your freedom. The king can’t allow
someone he doesn’t trust to be in your position. After what
happened, it would be political suicide. I know it, the chevalier
knows it, and so does the king. His majesty’s chosen a man he
trusts with his life to father your children. The original plan was
to slit your traitorous throat. The chevalier convinced the king to
spare you, and this is how you repay his concern?”

Isabelle
stared into her step-mothers cold eyes. Could Henriette be telling
the truth? Had the chevalier and not the king instigated this farce?
Slit her throat? She’d prefer they had to this travesty. Henriette
continued talking, oblivious to the thoughts overwhelming Isabelle.

“Look
at you. You’re powerless. Why you don’t have enough mettle to
push my hand from your chin.” She let go of her and pushed her away
with such violence Isabelle had to grab the edge of the desk to keep
from falling.

“Surely,
there’s another option? Why would waiting a few more months make
that much difference?”

“Because
of the conspiracy, you foolish girl. Think of it. A member of the
royal family, albeit a distant one, conspiring to commit treason? A
woman is often blamed for her husband’s crimes. The sooner that
connection is erased from memory, the better. Besides, I can’t take
my place at court until you’re the new Comtesse of Caen. Your
husband becomes Comte de Caen and d’Angrignon the day you marry,
and he’s quite anxious to assume his new title. Did you think this
was all about you? While he may lust after you, there are plenty of
women willing to fill his bed. Vincent offered to give you his name
to spare the king any further shame, and somehow managed to convince
his majesty it was all his idea in the first place. The man is
brilliant. The title is his reward, the position at court, mine. It’s
about power—power and politics. Nothing personal.” She laughed at
what must have been the stunned look on Isabelle’s face. “Pauvre
petite.
You’re almost twenty-five and you have no idea how the world works.
You’re the daughter of a comte with royal blood in your veins.
Strange things happen at court. It’s possible your child could
inherit the throne—a daughter could marry the dauphin. Resign
yourself to your fate and make the best of it. This can be a
wonderful opportunity. You can have everything you’ve ever wanted,
and all you have to do is spread your legs.”

Like
you? Too
disgusted toeven
utter the insult, Isabelle walked over to the small table where,
despite her trembling hand, she managed to pour herself a cup of
chocolate from the silver pot, and sipped the soothing drink.
Henriette’s words bothered her. Was there more at play here—a
real conspiracy against the heirs? The chevalier was an ambitious
man, but would he go so far as murder to see his child on the throne?
Of
course he would. The man is without honor.

Susanne
Matthews was born and raised in Eastern Ontario, Canada. She’s an
avid reader of all types of books, especially those with a happily
ever after. In her imagination, she’s travelled to foreign lands,
past and present, and soared into the future. A retired educator,
Susanne spends her time writing and creating adventures for her
readers. She loves the ins and outs of romance, and the complex
journey it takes to get from the first word to the last period of a
novel. As she writes, her characters take on a life of their own, and
she shares their fears and agonies on the road to self-discovery and
love.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

My
new paranormal romance/urban fantasy release, Second
Nature,
made me think about how I got started in this genre. It certainly
wasn’t my upbringing. Some members of my family have firm beliefs,
and the supernatural or unexplained, whether in books, movies or TV,
is considered satanic. I don’t agree.

To
me, it’s just another way to be creative. I’ve always been
open-minded, and I’ll admit that I think there are things in the
world that can’t be explained with science or religion. There is a
lot we don’t know about the hereafter (how could we?), and about
this world in general. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to find out
that there were real vampires, shifters or faeries in the world. We
just can’t see them. I even believe in spirits to some degree. Why
wouldn’t some of us stick around after we are gone, if not to be
with our loved ones?

Why
not let your imagination soar a little? Just for fun, anyway. We all
know fiction is a kind of escape from reality. Fantasy authors take
that a step further and create amazing worlds that we can believe in.

So,
how did I really start writing about the paranormal? I could blame my
grandmother, who tried to terrorize us with scary ghost stories
around the campfire whenever we went camping. I could blame pop
culture with the movies about these supernatural creatures, or even
horror movies. God knows I was obsessed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer
(the TV show) and Angel when I was in high school. Now I watch things
like Grimm or Sleep Hollow. I even liked the first Twilight movie.

No,
I would have to say that part of it comes down to literature. I could
blame Annette Curtis Klause for first sparking my interest in YA
paranormal romance with Silver
Kiss.
I was about thirteen when I read that one. Oh, man…now that was a
kiss. So romantic, yet dangerous.

My
deep-seated fascination with vampires, of course, extended to the
present. I followed The Vampire Diaries and True Blood for awhile
until I got tired of the drama and gore. I also experimented with TV
shows about witches such as Charmed and Witches of East End. Or a
shifter series like Bitten? Interesting. I am cool with stories about
werewolves too.

I
guess you could say that I was searching for the perfect series.
Little did I know that fiction would always be my drug of choice.

When
I stumbled across J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood Series
(paranormal romance/urban fantasy), I think she’d already written
five books in the series. So, I took a chance and bought them as a
set. Wow! I’d never read anything like it! Then I began to pick up
other ones such as P.C. Cast’s House of Night Series (YA
paranormal/urban fantasy) and Kerrelyn Sparks’ Love at Stake Series
(paranormal romance with a touch of comic relief). It was much later
that I discovered Chloe Neill’s awesome Chicagoland Vampires Series
about a pretty quirky, yet tough heroine who stands as sentinel or
protector for her house. Little does she know that trouble always
tends to follow her.

In
recent years, I found a paranormal romance indie author, Linda Lee
Williams, as well as Aubrey Brown, who sometimes writes erotic
paranormal/historical romance. I also read one by Candice Stauffer
called Eternal
Breath of Darkness.
I am eager to try books by other authors in the genre (my Wishlist is
so long) such as Kresley Cole, Laurell K. Hamilton and Lynsay Sands.

All
of the aforementioned books stirred my imagination. My first foray
into writing paranormal was A
Misplaced Life
by Kathryn Layne, one of my self-published books. It is a
mystery/thriller book with some paranormal elements. I also wrote and
published Terror
in the Night,
a paranormal romance about two people being terrorized by a demon.
Subsequently, I wrote Haunted
and Pursuit,
both under the pen name Erica Sutherhome, and both were about
heroines with supernatural gifts. After Magick
& Moonlight,
a romantic fantasy, was released through Solstice Shadows Publishing
in March, I was ready to try my hand at something a little different.

In
truth, Second
Nature built up in my mind for awhile until it was ready to come out
on the page. As authors, we can’t always predict what happens with
our writing and I didn’t know that the early scene where Desire
wakes up, bound in the backseat of a car, was going to turn into a
paranormal romance. But, it did. The next book in the series, Blood
Instincts,
will also be a paranormal romance/urban fantasy, but with a
futuristic element. I look forward to finishing that book and showing
it to readers, but I won’t get ahead of myself. I do hope you like
the Blood at First Sight Series, and in closing, I’d like to give
you a suggested reading list.

Do
you like paranormal or even fantasy books? If you haven’t read any,
maybe you’d like to try some of these awesome titles by other
authors:

Black
Dagger Brotherhood Series:

Dark
Lover
by J.R. Ward (book one of 14)

Lover
Eternal
by J. R. Ward (book two of 14)

The
Fallen Angels Series:

Crave
by J.R. Ward (book one of 6)

Covet
by J.R. Ward (book two of 6)

Three
Sisters Island Trilogy:

Dance
Upon the Air
by Nora Roberts

Heaven
and Earth
by Nora Roberts

Face
the Fire
by Nora Roberts

Sign
of Seven Trilogy:

Blood
Brothers
by Nora Roberts

The
Hollow
by Nora Roberts

The
Pagan Stone
by Nora Roberts

House
of Night Series:

Marked
by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast (one of 12)

Betrayed
by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast (two of 12)

Love
at Stake Series:

How
to Marry a Millionaire Vampire
by Kerrelyn Sparks (one of 16)

Vamps
and the City
by Kerrelyn Sparks (two of 16)

Chicagoland
Vampires Series:

Some
Girls Bite
by Chloe Neill (one of 11)

Friday
Night Bites
by Chloe Neill (two of 11)

And
here are some books by my comrades at Solstice Shadows:

Ascent
of the Fallen
by Rebecca L. Frencl

Fin’s
Magic
by KateMarie Collins

Paradox
Lost: Their Path
by K.C. Sprayberry

Dead
in the Water
by Chrystal Vaughan

Healer
by J. McAfee

Marie
Lavender’s Author Bio

Bestselling
author of Upon
Your Return
and 19 other books. 2014 BTS Red Carpet Review Nominee. Finalist and
Runner-up in the MARSocial's Author of the Year Competition.
Honorable mention in the January 2014 Reader's Choice Award. Liebster
Blogger Award for 2013 and 2014. Top 50 Authors on AuthorsDB.com.
Winner of the Great One Liners Contest on the Directory of Published
Authors.

Marie Lavender lives in the Midwest with her family
and three cats. She has been writing for over twenty years. She has
more works in progress than she can count on two hands. Marie has
published twenty books in the genres of historical romance,
contemporary romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance/fantasy,
mystery/thriller, literary fiction and poetry. Lavender just released
Second
Nature,
a paranormal romance/urban fantasy, in December of 2014. She released
Magick
& Moonlight,
a romantic fantasy, back in March. Upon
Your Honor,
released in late April, is her second historical romance. Her current
series are The Heiresses in Love Series, The Magick Series and The
Blood at First Sight Series. Feel free to visit her website at
http://marielavender.com/ for
further information about her books and her life. Marie is also on
Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.

Erica
Sutherhome: Hard
to Get;
Memories;
A
Hint of Scandal;
Without
You;
Strange
Heat;
Terror
in the Night;
Haunted;
Pursuit;
Perfect
Game;
A
Touch of Dawn;
Ransom;
Leather
and LaceKathryn
Layne: A
Misplaced Life

Heather
Crouse: Express
Café and Other Ramblings;
Ramblings,
Musings and Other Things;
Soulful
Ramblings and Other Worldly Things

Her
Latest Book Second
Nature,
bookone
of the Blood at First Sight Series:

She
never expected it…

Desiree Edwards has a problem. She’s
been attacked, kidnapped and forced to get along with a vampire of
all things. It’s something right out of the story books she reads,
or her worst nightmare. But, sometimes he’s not the monster he
appears to be. He seems so humanlike that she can’t help it when
her emotions betray her, when her body betrays her. To make matters
worse, she finds out more about herself than she ever wanted to know.

She was unlike any other…

Alec has a problem. The
animal in him wants Desiree. But, so does the man. The more he learns
about her, the harder it is to deny what he wants. But, he’s a
freak, and she’s just a human. The two species don’t mix that
way. Then an old enemy surfaces and Alec is forced to make a choice.
His life or hers.

Can Alec’s soul be saved by this unique
human? Or will it be far too late?

For the "Young At Heart"

Below are stories for the older crowd. Historical western romances, contemporary romances, and a paranormal romance! There is also a family drama and a non-fiction on my experience with solar. Just keep scrolling down!

The Sheriff and the Miner's Daughter

Charlene arrives in Jubilee Springs with several mail order brides coming to meet their prospective husbands. When Charlene asks Jim Hawkins, the local sheriff, the whereabouts of Amos Lehman, he thinks she is a gold digger. He claims he is trying to to keep her from ruining her life by marrying a man twice her age, but when it becomes clear Amos is her father, his interest takes a different turn.

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Book 10 of Grandma's Wedding Quilts

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Hannah, Bride of Iowa, Book 29 of the historic American Mail Order Bride Series

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Gabe Thornton inherits the Double Bar Ranch from good friend and neighbor Bill (Pappy) Thomas, but there are conditions. Last Will and Testament states five hundred acres have been set aside for his only niece, or interested heirs. Molly Blackburn, who knows nothing about cattle ranching, shows up to claim her inheritance. Sparks fly! Will she give up her land or will she find more than just a cattle ranch in Bastrop?

The Ornament

Twelve years ago Jim Rustle packed up and left his home in Idaho and hasn’t looked back. He gets quite an awakening when Lisa Parker, whom he hadn’t seen in all those years, breaks into a business meeting and uses some colorful adjectives to tell him just what she thinks of him. Sparks fly between the two when he decides to follow Lisa home and sees what has happened in his absence. Is the anger stemming from the present, or from the past? It’s Christmas time. Can an ornament from years past help heal betrayals that have festered for years?

Revenge, The Cowboy Way

This is a story of love, hate, and revenge. The question is, whose revenge is it?

Jesse's Find

In the middle of nowhere, Jesse Mason finds a horse, a woman and an infant. The horse is dead and the woman has been shot. Why would somebody shoot a woman with a baby? More to the point, were they still looking for her?

Jesse's Nightmare - Book Two of the Jesse Series

The snow continues to pound the Kansas plains in late March. Something is ripping apart the livestock and animals and Jesse comes home to find his wife and daughter are missing!

Jesse's Heartbreak

Jesse and Ginny Mason’s world is shattered when Amanda Hill comes to Abilene, Kansas to try and take three-year old Sarah away from them. Little Sarah’s father died before she was born and his family wants the girl to come to Pennsylvania and live with them, and they have the all the money and expertise they need to make that happen! The Hill’s can offer the little girl prominence and station in life, while all Jesse and Ginny have to give is their complete devotion. Which will the Judge choose – money or love?

Justice Comes To Saline

Black smoke billows and a whistle blares, as the steam engine pulls into Salina, Kansas, delivering the town’s new school teacher, Victoria Stone. The people of Salina are caring and do all they can to make Victoria feel welcome and her students are finding their way into her heart. Then there’s the town’s sheriff, Jim Timmons, who is getting under her skin and turning every emotion she has inside out. But the truth is, Salina didn’t pick Victoria – She picked the town of Salina. And in her bag, Victoria isn’t toting books and school supplies. There is a score to settle in Salina, Kansas, and nothing or nobody is going to deter her from putting things right.

WESTERN ROMANCES

DO YOU ENJOY HISTORICAL WESTERN ROMANCES?The Pioneer Hearts Facebook group is a wonderful place for historical western romance authors and readers to discuss their favorite stories, recipes and photos. Join the group at www.facebook.com/groups/pioneerhearts.

Blame It On The Cherry

Julie Reed and Will Parker are soul mates. All through their high school years they talked about and planned their future together. It only took one night to destroy all they had. Julie won’t listen and moves away. Was it Will that ruined their future, or did Julie not love him enough? When Will finds her again will she give him another chance or will his deception stay buried deep inside her heart?

Her Cracked Heart

A second chance for love with a ready-made family is at Stephanie Warren’s fingertips, but ghosts of the past have a strong hold. Will she turn her back on happiness or can somebody break through her shell and help heal her cracked heart?

At What Price

What will a grandmother do to protect the ones she loves?

The Unwanted Christmas Guest

Elizabeth McMurphy is an up and coming high powered attorney and is after vengence, involving one of the richest and most powerful families in Colorado. Steve York is an obnoxious reporter that thinks the ice queen has gone too far and does all he can to get under her skin. When one of the worst blizzards in history, hits CO and leaves a hurt Steve York, stranded with Elizabeth in a mountain cabin, will she must decide to either take care of him, or throw him out to fend for himself.

Dugan's Creek

A devastated Heather Stone is headed to her sister's house for some TLC after her boyfriend of 3 years breaks up with her. "I need space. There is no sizzle in our relationship!" As if things weren't bad enough, her car dies on a lonely stretch of highway and she starts walking. She's hot, thirsty, and her feet are getting blisters. A sign says Dugan's Creek. She finds soothing cold, rushing water.....and so much more! This story is NOT for the kids!

Solar - One Family's Reality

It was going to cost $100,000 to bring electricity to our property line. We decided it was a no-brainer to go green. This is our story of our trip down Solar Lane. The pros and cons, and facts and fallacies!

Fox Tots Publishing

For the "Young"

Below are books for the beginning reader to the middle grade readers. Fairy tales to fantasy to time travel adventures! I have stories for the kiddos in your lives! Just keep scrolling down!

For the Early Readers

A delightful American tale about five-year old Ethan who is in Ms. Johnson’s Kindergarten class. He is new to the school and has not made any friends. Ethan and Timmy, a boy in his class, get in a fight over a soccer ball and both boys are sent to talk to the principal, Mr. Glumb. There are stories about this principal – scary stories! Are they true? Ethan and Timmy are about to find out!

A Story For Beginning and Young Readers

Sammy Bear goes on a search for his lost tail. He meets new friends and eats some of his favorite meals along the way. Will Sammy Bear make it home with his lost tail? At the end of the story are a few of Sammy's favorite bug recipes. Enjoy them with mom and dad or fool your friends with some delicious, creepy, bug recipes.

The Wickware Sagas

Strange things happen in Miss Wickware’s seventh grade history class. Lights flash, electricity zaps throughout the classroom, radio turns on by itself! But the most puzzling is that some of the students are transported back in time and come face to face with the person or subject that they are to do a report on. When asked about these happenings, students just aren’t talking. Word on the street points to old lady Wickware, herself. Is magic involved? Is she a witch? Alien? Or just an old lady who is passionate about history? As I said, nobody’s talking.

Riches to Rags, Book 5 of the Wickware Sagas

Dylan Jones, seventh grader at Langdon Middle School lives the good life. His family has money. He gets most everything he wants. Even so, everybody likes Dylan ’cause he is a happy go lucky kid. Miss Wickware, his seventh grade history teacher, tells the class they will be studying the United States in the late 1800 for the next few weeks. Everybody will be expected to present an oral report on a subject that is drawn from a box. Dylan draws The Orphan Train. A penniless Dylan finds himself at the train station in New York in 1875 and he is as scared and unsure as the children getting ready to ride the Orphan Train. How will Dylan make it when money is nowhere to be found?

Bumped Back In Time, Book 4 of the Wickware Sagas

Sammy Brown, winner of the first junior sailing regatta for kids, ages twelve to fourteen, is walking on air Tuesday, after being absent the previous day, due to the race. Miss Wickware, her history teacher, asks Sammy to stay after class because she needs to draw a subject out of a box and give an oral report on the drawn subject. “UHG” History and Sammy are not friends, but her good mood won’t be dampened until a fall and a bump on the head sends her back to 1814. It’s her expertise in sailing that allows Francis Scott Key to rescue an imprisoned friend from a British ship that leads to a historic battle and a famous poem!

Flash to the Past, Book 3 of the Wickware Sagas

Snooty, popular, Kristy Sawyer and nerdy brainiac, Larry Peables find themselves back in the 18 Century and meet a Revolutionary War heroine, and take part in a famous battle!

Ride of a Lifetime, Book 2 of the Wickware Sagas

Seventh grader and school bully, Jim Abernathy, is less than thrilled when he draws a boring girl to do a report on. He quickly learns a touch of humility when he storms out of his history class and into 18th Century, New York, where he meets up with Sybil Ludington. She shows him exactly what bravery is!

Billy Cooper's Awesome Nightmare

Billy finds out, on a Friday afternoon, that an oral report will be due on Monday, on the subject he draws from a box. Who the heck is William Tell? He figures he will do a quick computer search on this guy and will breeze through on this assignment. All that changes when Billy meets 14th century William Tell face to face!

The Wickware Sagas

Kids of today find themselves back in time, face to face, with historical heroes

The Bearded Dude in the Puzzle

An ancient puzzle is found while cleaning an old home. As the Taylor family works on the puzzle, strange things start to happen. An evil presence is making its way to the Taylor house, intent on making sure that puzzle never gets put together, no matter the cost, and it’s up to Bobby and Andrea to make sure that it does!

Hike Up Devil's Mountain

Three boys only hope is the witch that lives on Devil's Mountain

Hike Up Devil's Mountain

When the school bully is turned into a toad, two ten year old boys must climb Devil's Mountain to find the only person who can help them. Will they survive the trip?

A Float Down the Canal

Pam Simpson gets dumped on when her mom is called into work and she has to cancel her plans to babysit her brother and his friend. The second bomb is dropped when Pam is informed her prissy cousin is also being dropped of for Pam to entertain. The worst day of her life, turns into a day she will never forget and it all starts with a float down the canal!

50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading

I was one of the chosen!!

Followers

About Me

I worked as an elementary school secretary for twenty-one years. I retired with my wonderful husband, to a fifty-four acre ranch, which is a constant work in progress. We live on solar and wind, which has been a real adjustment! On any given evening, the stars are an awesome sight and can be seen as far as the eye can see!